History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 114

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336

USA > New York > Orange County > History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 114

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" It was likewise during the pastorate of Mr. Fox that the church edi, fice was enlarged and improved. It seebied wise to enter upon the work of remodeling the house of God, and accordingly, on April 9, 1868. the beautified audience-room was rededicated. The Rev. Dr. Lyman Wright, then pastor of the church at Newburgh, preached an impressive sermon en the occasion. It was a day of gladness and joy, and the week that followed was one of prayer and praise. Others were added to the church, and thankfulness filled every heart. The paster resigned Jan. 1, 1869. He was succeeded successively hy Rev. Florence Mccarthy, Rev. J. H. Gunning, M.D., and Rev. Frank Fletcher, whose combined periods of service reached nine years. The history of the society during this time is not marked by any great or neted progress. There were some acces- sions by baptism, and during the pastorate of Dr. Gunning there was considerable religious interest in the other churches of the village, fos- tered by the preaching of the well-known evangelist, Rev. A. B. Earle. In the results of the ingathering of seuls the Baptist Church shared. The present incumbent of the pastorate entered upon his work May 26, 1878.

" During the past two years a little has been done for the extension of

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he Redeemer's cause outside of her own bounds. The great drawback o her prosperity at the present time is the existence of the bonded debt, neurred through the renovation of the house of worship in 1867-68. Ier record in the past as regards the channels of our denominational benevolent enterprises has been good, and her record will be better if it leases God to prosper her in the future. The forty years have been 'ears of trial and anxiety, but the present period is one of peaceful and quiet and permanent growth.

" SUMMARY, SEPT. 23, 1880.

Organized Oct. 21, 1840, with members numbering .. 17 Received by baptism from Oct. 21, 1840, to present date .. 291 Received by letter and experience from Oct. 21, 1840, to present 245 date ...

Total. 553

Whole number erased and excluded. 105

dismissed by letter 173

44 of deaths 57

Present membership 218

553

" Church constituted Oct. 21, 1840. House of worship finished June , 1844. Church edifice enlarged at a cost of $13,500, April 9, 1868. Present bonded debt of the church, $6500. Officers of the church : Rev. V. Edgar Wright, Paster; Deacons, Geo. W. Corwin, John H. M. Little, Nath'l Ferrell, L. H. Slanson, Richard Slee, Jacob D. Masterson, Wm. I. Scott: Trustees, Avery A. Bromley, Isaac Crans, W. H. Wood; Clerk nd Treasurer, John H. M. Little ; Sunday-school Superintendent, Iliram 'ate."

The house of worship is a plain, unpretentious tructure, standing on Mulberry Street, in the village of Middletown, cruciform in shape. The interior is handsomely frescocd, and the windows are of rich tained glass. A beautiful organ occupies the space pack of the pulpit. The communion emblems-a cluster of grapes and bread-are painted on the ceil- ng above the pulpit, and back of these a dove, rep- esenting the Holy Spirit.

The seating capacity of the building is 600.

GRACE CHURCH OF SOUTHI MIDDLETOWN (EPIS- COPAL)

executed a certificate of incorporation, Feb. 18, 1845. The proceedings were signed by Rev. John Brown, Rev. William P. Page, of Goshen, and D. C. Dusen- ury. The wardens named in the instrument were James Stryker and Elisha P. Wheeler; the vestry- nen, James G. Swazey, John G. Wilkin, William N. Phillips, John Bailey, Edward M. Madden, P. Man- ing Stryker, Charles Dill, and Anthony Houston.

Previous to the date of the incorporation of the church services were held occasionally in the village all on North Street, the Rev. John Brown, D.D., of St. George's Church, Newburgh, the Rev. G. W. l'imlow, and others officiating. Of these services no 'ecord was kept.

Part of the land on which the church building tands was purchased of Henry E. Horton in 1845. The building was begun in 1846, finished in 1847, and consecrated by the Right Rev. W. Il. De Lancey, D.D., LL.D., Sept. 12, 1848. A small addition was nade to it in the year 1863. In 1866 the south tran- THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF MIDDLE- TOWN. ept was built by E. P. Wheeler, and he added the north transept in the following year. The spire was This society effected a legal organization July 11, 1838. The meeting was held at the house of John M. Tuthill, and the proceedings were signed by John H. built principally by the efforts of J. M. Matthews, E. M. Madden, and Charles Horton, in 1868 or '69. This spire contains the town clock. The church |Little and John M. Tuthill. The trustees chosen

throughout is of solid stone masonry, and will now seat about 700. In 1878-79 extensive repairs were made, a Sunday-school room was fitted up in the base- ment, the exterior and interior of the church improved and decorated. It is impossible to compute the cost of the building and the improvements made from time to time with any certainty. There is a parsonage on Broad Street belonging to the church.

The Rev. George W. Timlow was the first rector of the parish, and held the first services after its in- corporation. He resigned in 1851 on account of ill- health. He was succeeded by the Rev. J. Selden Spencer, who resigned the rectorship in the spring of 1853. In the same year the Rev. P. Teller Babbit was called, December 5th. He accepted the call and served the parish till July 14, 1862, the date of his ' resignation. The Rev. Alexander Capron next took charge of the parish on the second Sunday in Advent, 1862, resigning Oct. 1, 1877, at which time the Rev. George D. Silliman took charge, and is at the present time rector. The salary of the rectors has ranged from $600 to $1500. They seem, without exception, to have discharged their duties honorably and well.

The first record in the parish register is a list of 25 communicants, in the year 1854. The present list numbers 250. Four hundred and eighty-nine names of communicants are upon the rolls. The parish seems to have grown uniformly with the growth of the town.

The present officers of the parish are J. B. Swahm, senior warden; L. Armstrong, junior warden ; A. C. Fuller, G. B. Fuller, E. H. Purdy, S. S. Draper, H. W. Wiggins, Hon. J. G. Wilkin, W. H. Rogers, J. T. Cockayne, vestrymen ; J. B. Swalm is treasurer ; J. T. Cockayne is musical director; A. H. Ten Broeck, organist ; J. B. Swałm, superintendent of the Sunday- school; Mrs. Lydia A. Swazey, president of the Ladies' Aid Society ; Miss Cordelia Wheeler, president of the Altar Society ; and Mrs. H. H. Hunt, president of the sewing-school for little girls.

The seats in the church are all free, and the ser- vices supported by the voluntary offerings of the people, as part of their worship. The total amount contributed for the year ending Sept. 1, 1880, was $2920.12, or an average of $56.16 per Sunday. Dur- ing the same year there were baptisms, 24; admitted to holy communion, 11 ; marriages, 12; burials, 24.

May God in His goodness bless and prosper this church of the English-speaking people, which has provided for all who speak the language a universally accepted translation of the Holy Bible, and worships God according to the ritual observed for hundreds of years.

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

were Isaac Denton, John H. Little, Ebenezer Mills, William Dann, and Alfred Goodale.

Upon the earlier history of this church, the follow- ing extract from the "Middletown Directory for I>57-58, by John W. Hasbrouck." gives a few items :

" For a number of years previous to the time of a permanent organi- zation of the society, there had been kept up a series of appointments for preaching, which were filled alternately by those preachers who were traveling on what was theo known as Montgomery Circuit. The mneet- ings were then held in the old district school-honse, located where the Middletown Bank building now stands, the former having, some thirteen years since, been consumed by fire. In the fall of 1838 the project of building a suitable edifice for the use of the then somewhat augmented membership, although still few in numbers and feeble in purse, was con- ceived ; and under the auspices of Rev. Valentine Buck, assisted by Lis colleague, Rev. David Webster, the work was begun and successfully prosecuted to its close. The lot upon which the edifice was erected and now stands was purchased of Widow Anna Sears, at a cost of $300. The architecture of the building which was creditable for the times) reflected considerable praise upon the builder, Wm. L. Dann, and cost. including price of lot, $2200. Its dimensions were 33 by +5 feet.

"In the spring of 1839 the edifice was completed, and dedicated in May by Rev. John Kennedy, D.D. A society was then permanently organized, and a board of trustees elected.

" The preachers in charge at that time were Revs. George Brown, David Buck, and Sanford. Succeeding these for the next two years were Revs. John Green and Bonney.

" A change was made in the circuit by the next Annual Conference, severing Middletown from Montgomery Circnit, and connecting Middle- town and Ridgebury together as a charge, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Z. N. Lewis. Then followed successively the following preachers in charge : John G. Smith, Matthew Van Dusen. Morris D. C. Crawford. Heory Lounsbury, J. H. Romer, Charles Islam, Jolin K. Still, Charles 5. Brown, Jaccb C. Washburn, Joun K. Wardle, Silas Fitch.

"On the completion of the church there remained against it a debt of some $600, which was permitted to rest undischarged, accumulating in amonnt by unpaid interest until in 1847 it had increased to between $1100 and $1200.

"The aspect of affairs now seemed threatening enough, when, provi- deutially as it seemed, that indefatigable worker, Morris D. C. Crawford, was sent to take the pastoral charge. Entering upon his work, seeing the depressed state of affairs, spiritually and temporally, in the short space of six weeks from the time of commencing the entire debt was wiped out. From that time forward, with few intermissions, the prosperity of the church has been apparent. The increase of membership, propor- tiodate with the increase of population and rapid growth of the village, seemed to demand increased space in the church building. Accordingly, in the fall of 1854, an addition of fifteen feet was made to the length of the building. adding materially to its accommodation and its appearance externally and internally, at a cost of $.00.

" The house was reopened on Feb. 27, 1:55, by Revs. Jesse T. Peck, D.D., and Morris D. C. Crawford. To Rev. J. C. Washburn, then pastor in charge, high praise is due for the commendatory manner in which he labored for the prosecution of this work."

Revs. Richard Wheatley, Luther Peck, Alex. McLean, and J. G. Oakley were successively ap- pointed to the charge; the latter in 1868.

During the first year of Mr. Oakley's pastorate a large addition was made to the membership of the church. This led to the building of a new edifice and the sale of the old one. This work was undertaken in 1870. The board of trustees, composed of John C. Owen, president; John H. Kellogg, secretary ; Ira L. Stoddard, W'm. J. Groo, N. M. Thompson, Wm. Budd, and Thomas P. Pitts, constituting the building committee, purchased a lot on the corner of Main and Mulberry Streets of Joseph Lemon, at a cost of $9000, upon which a brick and slate-roof building 100 by 80 feet, with a transept on the south 100 by 37 feet, embracing a basement under transept, with lec-

ture-room over the same, ladies' parlor, and elass- room -. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 700, and is handsomely furnished. The lecture-room was first occupied May 7. 1871 : the completed building was dedicated Nov. I, ISTI. The entire cost of lot and building was $60,000.

Mr. Oakley was succeeded by Rev. George H. Corey, for two years; Rev. D. L. Marks followed, for three years ; he was succeeded by Rev. John K. Wardle, and the latter by Rev. Elias S. Osbon, who is now (1981) in charge.

Though for a time embarrassed by the debt in- curred in constructing its edifice, the church is now iu a prosperous condition, and has a flourishing Sab- bath-sehoo).

ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

St. Joseph's parish was established in 1866, and the first pastor was Rev. Father Andrew O'Reiley, now at Yonkers, N. Y., whose pastorate covered nine years. He was beloved by his people, and won many warm friends in the village outside of his church. He was succeeded by Rev. Father Richard O'Gorman as tem- porary pastor, who is now at St. Rose's Church, New York. The present pastor, who built the new church. is Rev. P. J. Prendergast, who came here from Ellen- ville some years ago. He has an able assistant in the person of Rev. Father J. P. MeClancy. The parish includes Orisville, which was formerly attached to Port Jervis, and whose church was built by Rev. Father Richard Brennan, now of St. Rose's Church, New York.

Soon after being organized the parish began the erection of the church on Division Street, laying the foundation of what was afterwards completed by oth- ers and was called Slauson Hall. The Catholies sold the Division Street property because there was not sufficient room there for a pastoral residence and burial-ground. Their present fine property on Cot- tage Street, embracing about thirteen acres of land, was bought at a cost of $7000. The frame church which for a time accommodated the parish was built at a cost of $7000 more, and the house on the prop- erty was remodeled into a parsonage at a cost of $2500.

The corner-stone of the new church was laid July 27. 1879. by Bishop O'Hara. of Seranton, Pa .. with impressive ceremonies. The address was made by Rev. J. P. McClaney. The contract price for the church was $18,500, but the furnishing increased the eost to $26,000. The following persons or firms were engaged upon the work : masons, Harrison & Mc.Neale, of Newburgh : carpenter, James Thompson, of Stateu Island: Ohio stone trimmings, MeGill & Binnil, of Brooklyn ; stained glass, Aiekin & Goodwin, of Phil- adelphia ; heaters, Sayer, of Montrose, Pa .; gas fix- tures. Mitchell & Vance, of New York ; altar, Van Buren, of Jersey City.

The Stuart organ, from the old church, was repaired

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by the builder and placed in the gallery of the new church.

The building committee, who had charge of raising the money and constructing the church, were Rev. P. J. Prendergast, John Bradley, John Bartley, John Curtis, Patrick Dougherty, Timothy Cohalen.

The church is built of brick ornamented with trim- mings of Ohio sandstone. It is 130 feet long and 62 feet wide, and it will seat 900 people, aside from the choir gallery, which will seat about 100 more. An exterior view of the church presents a nave, clere-story, and aisle arrangement, with the sanctuary strongly marked, and all the various details and divisions treated in a bold and vigorous manner.

The audience-room has seating capacity for 900 people, clear of columns or other obstructions, having an opened timber roof, richly ornamented with mould- ings and tracery, apparently very light in construc- tion, and yet sustaining without columns or tie-beams a clere-story. The sanctuary is very spacious and ornate, having a vaulted ceiling ornamented with moulded ribs, and on either side is a small chapel opening into it and fronting the aisles, and intended to contain altars dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph. The windows are all filled with stained glass very rich in design and color, the main side win- dows being all memorials, containing ecclesiastical emblems and inscribed with the names of the donors. The main altar, which extends across the end of the sanctuary, is a very rich and beautiful piece of art work.

We regret that a more complete history of the parish has not been furnished for this work.

THE SEPARATE AMERICAN METHODIST CHURCH OF PHILLIPSBURGHI

was incorporated July 13, 1857. The certificate was signed by George W. Harding, Francis Wallace, and James Archer. The trustees chosen were Ebenezer Green, Francis Wallace, and James Archer. George W. Harding was pastor of the church at that time, and moderator of the meeting.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH OF MIDDLETOWN

executed a certificate of incorporation Nov. 20, 1861. The paper was signed by Henry Johnson and Joseph McClaughry. The trustees named therein were Henry Waterford, Peter Bowman, George Millspaugh, Joseph Johnson, Joseph McClaughry.

THE FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF MIDDLETOWN.

The Free Christian Church of Middletown was or- ganized on Sunday, Sept. 23, 1877. Rev. Charles M. Winchester had been holding temperance meetings in the village for several months, and having met with strong opposition on account of his hostility to the liquor traffic he resolved to locate in Middletown, and continue to do such gospel and temperance work as he might be able.

Having made known his intention to organize a church, he asked such as desired to unite in the undertaking to meet together for such a purpose.

The following named persons were all that came, viz., Chester Belding, Abby L. Belding, Geo. W. Reed, Phoebe A. Recd, Emerett Hallock. All of these had been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and brought letters of commendation.

The outlook as to members was not flattering, but the minister gave them the right hand of fellowship, and after a sermon and appropriate services the church was duly constituted. Rev. G. H. Hick, a Congregational minister of Denton, was present, and assisted in the exercises.

Oct. 24, 1877, the church adopted a brief covenant and articles of faith, adding a total abstinence pledge as necessary to be taken as a part of the obligation of each member.

Mr. Winchester, who had been acting pastor, was, on Nov. 14, 1877, received by letter from the Bethel Church, Providence, R. I., and elected pastor. On the following Sabbath, November 18th, he was pub- licly received as such by appropriate exercises.

November 21st the following officers were elected : Deacons, Chester Belding, Squire Lee; Clerk, Miss F. L. Van Doren ; Treasurer, Hector Moore.

By January, 4878, the church had increased its membership to about 30 members, and during that month it was incorporated under Chapter 218, Gen- eral Statutes, or what is known as the Free Church Act. The following persons were elected trustees : Chester Belding, Abram A. Eaton, John C. Smith, Squire Lee, Geo. W. Reed, Martin Van Fleet, C. MI. Winchester.

From its organization the church hired the build- ing known as Slauson Hall for a meeting-house, and . on Feb. 28, 1878, purchased the entire estate for $7000. The property is located at the corner of Wickham Avenue and Division Street, and contains about half an acre of land, on which was a brick building of two stories, abont 50 by 90 feet, on a massive stone foundation, which was originally laid for St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Society, A small barn and excellent well of water were also on the premises. It required only a small outlay to make the meeting-house quite convenient for the wants of a growing society.

The church was now in condition to grow, and in order to meet the increasing demand the organization was perfected Ang. 21, 1878, by the election of the following officers : Elders, Uriah D. Gee, A. R. Hill, Matthew Dolloway, C. M. Winchester ; Deaconesses, Margaret Tromper, Hannah Gee, Ann S. Van Fleet, Angeline Brundage.

In September, 1879, the building of a parsonage was commenced on the vacant lot next south of the meeting-house, on Division Street, and finished Feb. 1, 1880. It is a neat and convenient house, 26 by 30 feet, containing ten rooms on four floors, and, with its pretty front veranda and gable, quite an ornament

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

to the pleasant locality, which is noted for its fine residences.

The seats in the meeting-house are all free, and in- stead of a stated salary the pastor receives the free- will offerings of the people each Sabbath. Current expenses are met by collections.

The church has met with some obstacles, but has been favored with general prosperity, so that the present membership is 136.

In June, 1880, the New York Evangelieal Chris- tian Conference, of which the pastor is a member, met with this church.

The Sunday-school connected with the church num- bers about 300 members. David L. Conkling has been superintendent, and Chauncey B. Moore secre -! tary from its organization. A marked feature of the school is the pastor's Bible-class, which shows an average attendance from the beginning of about 75. Perhaps as a matter of history, and without entering into the merits of the case, it ought to be said that neither the Free Christian Church nor its minister is recognized by the other churches of the village.

VIII .- BURIAL-PLACES.

To mention these in any special order is not neces- sary. Many of them are the burying-grounds of the earlier years left to ruin and desolation. Others, as noticed below, are the result of the improved senti- ment of later years, and belong to legally-organized associations.

At the extreme north end of the town, near the Shawangunk, is a burial-place in the Mills or Sherer neighborhood. This is the old one that belonged to the Union Presbyterian Church which onee existed in that neighborhood.

Near the northeast line of the town, in the Par-

. melee District, there is a burial-place not far from ' it was the destruction of an ancient landmark with the mills.

An old burying-ground (now plowed up) was on the farm of Hezekiah D. Mills; only colored people were buried there; supposed to have been an early slave burial-place; reduced to cultivation perhaps thirty years ago.

At Phillipsburgh there is an old burying-ground, on the east side of the Wallkill. We believe the Wisners are buried here.

The Crane burial-place is on the present farm of Alfred Hosier. Among those buried in the Crane burying-ground the following are known : Capt. Jo- siah Crane and wife; Elias Bailey, who was drowned in what is now William Miller's mill-pond; Mrs. Howell, a relative of Capt. Crane's.

Near the old Baptist church of Wallkill is a burial- place of the last fifty years. Elder Terry was the first one buried there, in 1828.

Other burial-places may be named as follows: one on the town-line of Crawford, long sinee plowed up; the modern one at Cireleville, under good care; Mrs. Shorter's family lot on the Parmelee property ; the

new one at the Wallkill meeting-house ; the Phillips- burgh Cemetery; the Guinea burial-place (perhaps the same as that of colored people mentioned above) ; the Horton burial-place, on the present property of George Beakes; the Pine Hill Cemetery, two and a halt miles from Middletown; the Vinson Clark burial-place, on the farm now owned by T. W. Hor- ton ; and doubtless there are still others.

OLD BURIAL-GROUND OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CIIURCII.

This was the earliest place of burial at Middletown village. The remains of the dead were finally re- moved and the ground devoted to other purposes. As in every such ease, it is not probable that even the most faithful work succeeded in removing all. The remains at the final removal were all buried in one common grave, in the Hillside Cemetery, specially set apart for this purpose. The stones that bore names and dates are supposed to have been all preserved, and stand now in two elose rows on the lot above mentioned.

We give a few of the inscriptions upon them :

Nathaniel Vail, died Nov. 10, 1796, aged 31. Mary Smith, died Sept. 3, 1804, aged 79. Gabriel Corwin, died Nov. 2, 1820, aged 25. David Moore, died Aug. 4, 1805, aged 71. Jonathan Owen, died May 10, 1809, aged 44. James McQuoid, died July 18, 1806, aged 68. Charles McQuoid, died Aug. 5, 1797, aged 22. David Moore, died June 18, 1789.

These stones preserved are ninety-eight in number. The common field stone, which undoubtedly marked many early graves, yet with neither name nor date, were of course disearded in the removal as of no valne. It may have been best to remove the dead and give up the ground, but one can hardly help feeling that many cherished associations, and that there was "land enough" in this vicinity to have rendered the sacrifice unnecessary.

THIE OLD CEMETERY OPPOSITE THE ACADEMY.

This is a desolate place, for which there can be no reasonable apology and no semblance of an excuse. The negleet of old graveyards is a blot on modern civilization. It is said the people are waiting to get an act of the Legislature to enable them to remove the dead,-a phrase which in its practical result means simply to shovel the dust and bones of their ancestors into a common pit, and eall it a "careful transfer of the remains!" There is land enough; let old graveyards stay ; clear them out; mow them elean and elose twice or three times a year, and nature will do the rest, and do it decently. In this "rude, neg- lected spot the forefathers of the hamlet sleep."

Here are the names of Reeve, Vail, Moore, Conk- ling, McNish, Foster, Wilcox, Beakes, Hulse, Little, Cox, Denton, Fallis, Wells, Stewart, Leggett, Dor- rance, Howell, Dunning, etc.

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History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 114

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1336

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336